ABEC, a global leader in engineered solutions and services for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, announced the commercial launch of the ATB-2100 Advanced Therapy Bioreactor, a breakthrough single-use cell expansion technology designed to address the cell and gene therapy industry's growing need for scalable, reproducible, and automated manufacturing.
The ATB-2100 represents a new approach to advanced therapy processing, combining unprecedented process control and scalability in a fully closed and automated platform that supports cell expansion from preclinical development through commercial manufacturing. Designed for the most difficult cell and gene therapy applications, the platform has successfully demonstrated the expansion of T-cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and other emerging modalities.
At the core of the ATB-2100 is ABEC's proprietary network of hollow-fiber perfusion membranes, which continuously deliver nutrients and gases throughout the culture environment while removing metabolic waste. The system emulates the human circulatory system with a diffusion-based, low-shear environment that is ideal for cell growth. Exceptionally high cell densities and viabilities are achieved because cells are not exposed to the stresses commonly associated with other platforms.
Unlike other cell expansion technologies that require process redevelopment during scale-up, the ATB platform maintains a consistent membrane surface-area-to-volume ratio across bioreactor volumes from 200mL to 10L, enabling direct translation of process conditions from early-stage development through commercial production. This unique scalability significantly reduces development timelines, minimizes risk during technology transfer, and reduces time to market.
"Cell and gene therapies continue to face significant development and manufacturing challenges that limit scalability, increase costs, and slow commercialization," said Scott Pickering, Chief Executive Officer of ABEC. "The ATB-2100 overcomes these barriers and represents another industry-changing advancement pioneered by ABEC."
